In the 14-year period of 2005 through 2018, canines killed 471 Americans. Pit bulls contributed to 66% (311) of these deaths. Combined, pit bulls and rottweilers contributed to 76% of the total recorded deaths. | More »

DogsBite.org has reproduced the 30-year summary by Clifton in full below.

Summary2011 brought the most total pit bull attacks, second most pit bull attacks on children, most pit bull attacks on adults, third most pit bull fatalities, and most pit bull disfigurements in the 30 years that I have kept track of the data.This is the data from the past 20 years, with the 1992 data representing the first 10 years of data collection:

Summary of Pit Bull Incidents

YEAR

ATTACKS

CHILDREN

ADULTS

KILLED

MAIMED

Total

Year

Total

Year

Total

Year

Total

Year

Total

Year

1992

103

43

60

18

35

2002

729

86

345

45

247

22

62

6

392

54

2003

857

128

395

50

303

56

75

13

463

71

2004

936

79

433

38

329

26

83

8

501

38

2005

1080

144

494

61

369

40

97

14

582

81

2006

1194

114

523

29

416

47

111

14

645

63

2007

1268

74

553

30

438

22

123

12

682

37

2008

1392

124

593

40

473

35

137

14

734

52

2009

1553

161

665

72

524

51

161

24

825

91

2010

1797

244

774

109

604

80

190

29

966

141

2011

2092

295

876

102

715

111

213

23

1164

198

DiscussionI don't like to make much of the year-to-year fluctuations, since the differences between any given year and the years before and after are well within the possibilities of chance.The cumulative trends, though, are another matter.Note, first of all, that the first 10 years of data collection included fewer pit bull attacks than in seven of the past 10 years, and barely a third as many as in 2011 alone. All of the numbers from the first 10 years of data collection look like a single year's worth of data from recent years.

65% of the pit bull attacks resulting in someone being killed or maimed during the past 30 years have occurred during the past 10 years.

39% of the pit bull attacks resulting in someone being killed or maimed during the past 30 years have occurred during the past four years alone. This corresponds with the time frame within which the Best Friends Animal Society and the American Humane Association ramped up their pit bull advocacy, in the wake of the Michael Vick case.

14% of the total attacks occurred in the last year alone, and 26% in the past two years.

61% of the pit bull attacks on children have occurred in the past 10 years; 37% in the past four years; 24% in the past two years.

65% of the pit bull attacks on adults have occurred in the past 10 years; 39% in the past four years; 27% in the past two years.

71% of the pit bull fatalities have occurred in the past 10 years; 42% in the past four years; 24% in the past two years.

66% of the pit bull disfigurements have occurred in the past 10 years; 41% in the past four years; 29% in the past two years.

These cumulative trends are not within the possibilities of chance. They show a situation which has slipped out of any semblance of control, even compared to the situation of 10 years ago. - Merritt Clifton, editor Animal People

With trends like this staring them in the face, I would think class action suits against these guys and against any city, town or municipality that refuses to protect their citizens by regulating pits and prosecuting owners of mauling pits is becoming feasible.

I was HORRIFIED the other night while watching a show called Philly Undercover which features the Philadelphia SPCA.They broke up a large dog fighting ring and confiscated 41 Pit Bulls, many with well kept fighting records and the others with well chronicled pedigrees of fighting dogs.

While showing one of the most succesful of the fighting dogs during its "rehabilitation" the person who was working with the dog stated they would take as long as it took so the dog could be "adopted". Meanwhile they stated 22 of the dogs had been put into homes.

Where in the world does anyone think it is ok to put this kind of dog out in society with the average pet owner?

Why is this kind of money and resources used for this fiasco.

The numbers from this 30 year study shows a scary trend of increases.

How many more people and innocent pets will have to pay with their lives before something is done.

Liquidate HSUS? I don't think so. They do so much good for the factory farmed animals no one else is helping on a big scale; pit bulls remain small part of their work–thank goodness they haven't been co-opted into becoming an all-pits, all-the-time lobbying machine like Best Friends.

I have hope for them, though, because they have shown a willingness to shift gears and admit when they goofed. They did it with feral cats, and with advocacy for factory farmed animals. What I'm hoping is that as more solid info like this comes out, HSUS will reconsider their stance on fighting dogs.

Groups like Best Friends and American Humane, however, I have little to no hope for.